OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 23 and prosperity of his people. Instead of increasing the weight of taxes, which, in the space of forty years, had been gradually doubled, he reduced, in the first years of his reign, one-fourth of the tribute of the East.^^ Valentinian appears to have been less attentive and less anxious to relieve the burthens of his people. He might reform the abuses of the fiscal administra- tion ; but he exacted, without scruple, a very large share of the private property ; as he was convinced that the revenues, which supported the luxury of individuals, would be much more advantageously employed for the defence and improvement of the state. The subjects of the East, who enjoyed the present benefit, applauded the indulgence of their prince. The solid, but less splendid, merit of Valentinian was felt and acknowledged by the subsequent generation.^ But the most honourable circumstance of the character of valentinian Valentinian is the firm and temperate impartiality which he the uniformly preserved in an age of religious contention. His toleration. •' t^ A.D 364^375 strong sense, unenlightened, but uncorrupted, by study, declined, with respectful indifference, the subtle questions of theological debate. The government of the Earth claimed his vigilance and satisfied his ambition ; and, while he remembered that he was the disciple of the church, he never forgot that he was the sovereign of the clergy. Under the reign of an apostate, he had signalised his zeal for the honour of Christianity : he allowed to his subjects the privilege which he had assumed for himself; and they might accept, with gratitude and con- fidence, the general toleration which was granted by a prince addicted to passion, but incapable of fear or of disguise.^'^ The Pagans, the Jews, and all the various sects which acknow- ledged the divine authority of Christ were protected by the laws from arbitrary power or popular insult : nor was any mode ^5 Three lines from Ammianus ^xxxl. 14; countenance a whole oration of Themistius (viii. p. 101-120), full of adulation, pedantry, and common-place morality. The eloquent M. Thomas (tom. i. p. 366-396) has amused himself with celebrating the virtues and genius of Themistius, who was not unworthy of the age in which he lived. ^Zosimus, 1. iv. p. 202 [c. 3]. Ammian. xxx. 9. His reformation of costly abuses might entitle him to the praise of : in provinciales admodum parcus, tributorum ubique molliens sarcinas. By some, his frugality was styled avarice (Jerom. Chron. p. 186). ^ Testes sunt leges a me in exordio Imperii mei dataa : quibus unicuique quod animo imbibisset colendi libera facultas tributa est. Cod. Theodos. 1. ix. tit. xvi. leg. 9. To this declaration of Valentinian we may add the various testimonies of Ammianus (xxx. 9), Zosimus (1. iv. p. 204 [c. 3]), and Sozomen (I. vi. c. 7, 21). Baronius would naturally blame such rational toleration (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 370, No. 129-132, A.D. 376, No. 3, 4).
